| Email Senators Landrieu and Vitter TODAY.
One of the biggest issues currently being negotiated in secret right now in Congress is health care reform. Arguably, every other issue pales in comparison with health care reform because health care costs are a major expenditure for most Americans.
While we know that Senator Landrieu has broken a pledge she made two months ago, and that Senator Vitter will tout the virtues of the the private insurance system as a wonder of freedom for people, it is vital that we get them on the record. Indeed, it is vital to get the entire United States Senate - the main obstacle to true health care reform - on the record.
To that end, Democracy for America, Health Care for America NOW, and the big national blogs and numerous state blogs like the Kingfish have launched a campaign to get our Senators on the record to put an end to the backroom deals on health care:
No more dodges. No more vague, open-ended responses. We need every member of the Senate - the main obstacle to reform - to answer four questions on the public option:
Do you support a public healthcare option as part of healthcare reform?
If so, do you support a public healthcare option that is available on day one?
Do you support a public healthcare option that is national, available everywhere, and accountable to Congress?
Do you support a public healthcare option that can bargain for rates from providers and big drug companies?
As activists and as constituents, answering these questions are the minimum they owe us. We are entitled to specific, clear, written responses to all of these questions.
Email--don't call, but email--these four questions to your Senators now. Make it clear that you want a written response to all four questions. There needs to be as little room for interpretation as possible. The Senate is going to be the biggest hurdle on health care, as it has proven to the biggest hurdle on all legislation in 2009. That is where we must focus our pressure.
When you receive a response, post it on this webpage. We are going to collect all of the responses to find out where every member of Congress, but especially the Democratic members, stand on the public option. It is only with this information that we can prevent backroom deals that will sell us out to insurance companies.
If they don't respond, we will keep emailing until they respond. If they dodge the questions and don't provide specifics, then we will keep emailing until they do. If we keep the pressure up, they are going to have to respond eventually.
It is about time that every Senator make their position clear. We are entitled to responses.
Email your Senators today. |
